Saturday 28 May 2016 18:27, UK
Adrian Nicholls was denied the chance of a final winner before retiring from the saddle after Surewecan was withdrawn at Catterick on Saturday afternoon.
Nicholls was due to sign off aboard the Mark Johnston-trained runner in the Scoop6 Results At totepoolliveinfo.com Handicap but the horse was declared a non-runner due to the going.
The popular jockey has been one of the leading riders on the northern circuit for a number of years, enjoying big-race success aboard the likes of Strike Up The Band, Fire Up The Band and Tax Free, all high-class sprinters trained by his father, David Nicholls.
He tasted Group One glory for the first time when riding Regal Parade in the 2009 Sprint Cup at Haydock, before striking at the top level once more aboard the same horse in the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville the following summer.
Nicholls admits the decision to hang up his saddle is not an easy one, but having failed to ride a winner in 2016, he feels the time is right to start a new career.
He said: "It's something I've been thinking about for a while, but there's never an easy time to do it.
"It's not that I particularly want to retire, but there's been a lack of opportunities and nobody wants to pay to go to work.
"At the start of the season I thought I'd give it another go and then every week I've just been putting it off.
"Me and my wife Clare have a livery business and I've also been working at the Northern Racing College as an instructor. I just felt now was the right time to stop riding while I'm still young enough to do something else.
"It's all I've ever known, so it's not an easy decision. It's a bit like peeling off a plaster.
"But I've spoken to Mark (Johnston) and the old man and today will be my last day.
"It's getting harder and I take my hat off to the lads who go up and down the country for one ride, but I've got a young family to think about.
"I'm happy I've achieved everything I can. I've never been the best jockey in the weighing room, but I've had a lot of good days.
"Everyone knows what Tax Free meant to me and winning the Northumberland Plate winner for Tony Martin (Arc Bleu, 2008) was a special day.
"I also rode a treble at Glorious Goodwood as a 7lb claimer, but you'd have to say winning the Group Ones have to be the highlights.
"There's a lot better jockeys than me never get the opportunity to ride in Group Ones, never mind win one."
